By the way, there were at least 3-4 very loud and long "Refs you suck" chants last night even one after an icing call that we touched first.

I was laughing my ass off, especially when I look over down the row in the section next to me and see a group of kids with a girl who was probably 8 or 9 leading that chant for her group with her little fist in the air.

There were a few calls last night that the refs should've made; they were as blatant as the piledriver on Benn during the LA game. The players couldn't keep the puck on their sticks and handle the passes, defense looked bad, and Nilstorp didn't make the big saves when they needed them.

What puzzles me is their choices with puck movement. They didn't do much d to d passing even when the lane was open, instead they would spin in a circle and hold it at the line until 2 Rampage players closed on them and they turned it over, or they would pass it right into traffic to a Rampage player every time.

But my gf had a good time and though I'm still not sure she'll become a hockey fan, it's good to know we can at least go to more games in the future and she won't be bored.

I was laughing my ass off, especially when I look over down the row in the section next to me and see a group of kids with a girl who was probably 8 or 9 leading that chant for her group with her little fist in the air.

There were a few calls last night that the refs should've made; they were as blatant as the piledriver on Benn during the LA game. The players couldn't keep the puck on their sticks and handle the passes, defense looked bad, and Nilstorp didn't make the big saves when they needed them.

What puzzles me is their choices with puck movement. They didn't do much d to d passing even when the lane was open, instead they would spin in a circle and hold it at the line until 2 Rampage players closed on them and they turned it over, or they would pass it right into traffic to a Rampage player every time.

But my gf had a good time and though I'm still not sure she'll become a hockey fan, it's good to know we can at least go to more games in the future and she won't be bored.

My girlfriend kept complaining about how she missed Eakin and Reilly Smith

My girlfriend kept complaining about how she missed Eakin and Reilly Smith

I kept wishing they were there too, I was just astonished at how bad the puck movement was. Though I kept thinking....at least the defense looks the same at the AHL level as it does at the NHL level, lol.

Winkler could be done with his season as soon as this next weekend so he could join Texas on a PTO in the next 7 to 10 days.

A name we haven't talked about is Alex Guptill. If I was making the call right now, I'd say he returns to Michigan for his junior season. That said, he's 3 years from his draft date like Reilly Smith and Alex Chiasson when they signed. The only difference is Guptill played a year in the USHL after the draft before going to the NCAA. He had a slow start to the season, and apparently some attitude problems, but in 7 fewer games he's matched his assist total from last year and he's 4 goals short of matching that total. He has at least 2 or 3 games in a 3 game series this weekend to try and improve on those numbers. If Michigan loses though, his season is over. I assume Dallas would prefer he remain in Michigan to try and have an even better junior season, but you have to wonder if his struggles this year might make him personally choose to go pro.

Winkler could be done with his season as soon as this next weekend so he could join Texas on a PTO in the next 7 to 10 days.

A name we haven't talked about is Alex Guptill. If I was making the call right now, I'd say he returns to Michigan for his junior season. That said, he's 3 years from his draft date like Reilly Smith and Alex Chiasson when they signed. The only difference is Guptill played a year in the USHL after the draft before going to the NCAA. He had a slow start to the season, and apparently some attitude problems, but in 7 fewer games he's matched his assist total from last year and he's 4 goals short of matching that total. He has at least 2 or 3 games in a 3 game series this weekend to try and improve on those numbers. If Michigan loses though, his season is over. I assume Dallas would prefer he remain in Michigan to try and have an even better junior season, but you have to wonder if his struggles this year might make him personally choose to go pro.

I think Winkler and Guptil stay another year in college.
Guptil because he's only been there for two years and this is the first year Winkler has really received a lot of playing time. They may want to keep him there so he can take another year to develop.

I think Winkler and Guptil stay another year in college.
Guptil because he's only been there for two years and this is the first year Winkler has really received a lot of playing time. They may want to keep him there so he can take another year to develop.

Unless you know something else, that's my speculation.

Yeah like Mike alluded at, Scott Winkler is a senior this season. He's either going pro or leaving hockey, and I don't know the guy personally, but he's fought through what appears to have been some significant and nagging injuries to get to the point he's having a nice senior year. Even if it's just a PTO with Texas instead of an ELC with Dallas, I think the organization wants him to spend some time with the guys.

On Guptill, like I mentioned I agree he stays. Just wanted to point out he is 3 years from his draft so it wouldn't be out of no where for him to go pro.